Gustav Johansson was one of the key Brown Bear goalies last season until he was injured.  He was left unprotected in the NAHL draft and was claimed by arch rival Wenatchee. Evan McCarthy and Marcus Zelzer split the goal tending duties after the Johansson was sidelined.  Zelzer, a 1992, is gone.  McCarthy, a 1994 from Castle Rock CO started 17 games posting 9-8 record giving up 3.08 goals a game saving 90% of the shots on net.

Several Minnesota goalies tried out for the Kenai team at the main camp in Inver Grove three weeks ago including Zach Larson/Roseville.  The Brown Bears used a late round pick (#191 overall) in the NAHL to pick Tyger Howat, a 1995.  Howat started 17 games for Victory Honda U18 team and posted a 14-2 record giving up 1.71 goals a game saving 93% of the shots on net.  If the stats are correct, Howat is 6’5”.

But the real sleeper here is Kris Oldham.  Oldham, another tall goalie at 6’4”, saw limited action for the Brown Bears last season.   A 1997 borne, he made it to the USA National Team Development Camp and from there to USA Hockey’s U17 team that won the Four Nations title in a tourney played in Slovakia a week ago.  He was in the nets for the championship game.  The question is will he return to the Bears?  If he does he could be in the nets for the Magician’s first home game September 28 against Kenai.

Ryan Walker, one of Kenai River’s top defense men, will not return this season. A pair of top defense men from last year’s team is likely to return.  Vincent Stephan has skated in 90 games for Kenai and posted 34 points/8 goals in two seasons with the Bears.  He had a +17 score in last season’s 43 games.

Jacob Davidson, a Shattuck-St. Mary’s grad, is also a two year Bear player.   He scored 35 points/6 goals in 109 games with Kenai.  Davidson played on the Shattuck-St. Mary’s team in 2010-2011 that won USA Hockey’s Tier 1 National U18 Championship.

Carson Vance, a 1996er, played last season at defense for Kenai River and also made the Select 17 national camp this summer playing in the all-star game.  Vance played 55 games for Kenai River last year posting 10 points/3 goals.

The Bears drafted three defense men with their #38, #63, and #87 picks in the June NAHL draft.  They picked Brendan Smith off the Colorado Thunderbirds U16; Tyler Andrews from the AK Jr. Aces U18 (a bigger defense man and a good skater with a good shot that needs to get quicker); and Ben Blake from the Wenatchee Wild.

The Brown Bears traded their top scorer from last season, Matt Siedel, for two second round picks (#30  and #35 overall), one third round pick, and one fifth round pick.  They also lost their #3 and #4 scorers, Zac Lazzaro and Woodbury’s Mikhail Bushinski.

Still the Brown Bears have some strong performers returning.  Alex Jackstadt (39 points/20 goals) played 59 games for the Brown Bears.  Alec Butcher played part of last season in the Central Canadian Hockey League before joining the Bears; he posted 30 points/10 goals in 41 games.  Both players come  from neighboring Anchorage (three hour drive).  Albin Karlsson from Uppsala Sweden also returns.  Karlsson scored 29 points/11 goals in 48 games.  All three forwards started last season weighing around 150 lbs and standing around 5’10”.

Conor Deal, a two year returnee from Anchorage, is likely to be on the team.  Deal has scored 23 points/8 goals in 90 NAHL games for the Bears.
The Brown Bears drafted Thomas Lindstrom out of last year’s Class A State Tourney team, Breck with their #1 pick (#13 overall).  Lindstrom posted 184 points/92 goals for the Mustangs and could end up on the Kenai team.

The Brown Bears traded their top scorer from last season, Matt Siedel, for two second round picks (#30  and #35 overall), one third round pick, and one fifth round pick.    The #30 pick was used to draft Ryan McMurphy.  McMurphy played 58 games last season for the Tri-City Storm scoring 8 points/2 goals.  He is currently on the Storm’s 30 player protected list and could end up at Kenai.

The Bears used the #35 pick overall to take Nathan Colwell who played for the Colorado Thunderbirds U16’s.  The 17 years old 6’2” forward scored 28 points/14 goals in 41 games for the Thunderbirds.

One of the more interesting draft choices at forward is 15 year old August Von Ungren-Sternberg.  If he makes the team, it will be interesting to see how the 1997er progresses over the season.

Kenai’s home ice is Olympic size and coaches will tend to size their team to the additional space going with speed and maneuverability.  The Magicians Richfield Rink is smaller and tends to reflect more of an “old school” hockey game.  Scott Meyer’s may have sized his Magicians reflecting play at Richfield.  That could be one contrast between the two teams when they meet September 28 and 29 at Richfield.  Another one could be Alaska players versus Minnesota players.  Both teams try to fit natives into their rosters.
Regardless of contrasts; the Bear’s coach Geoff Beauparlant is anxious to play the Magicians in front a good size crowd in a smaller arena.  Coach Meyer’s is likely to oblige.